No culture in the world's history has been so consumed with controlling the future's course, and conversely, so unconcerned with discovering meaning from the past. The provocative challenge of a future which will bring fulfillment to the American educational system is compelling. The future for school library media programs must amount to something more than an honoring of past traditions. Predicting the course of school library media programs in the decade ahead requires a commitment to common sense, a dedication to patience and good judgement, and a preoccupation with developing a consensus which leads to accommodation. Growing access to and use of commercial information data bases and computerized data bases of cataloguing and bibliographic information will accelarate within schools. The growth of cable television will spark an information explosion which will culminate with the acceptance of television into its proper educational role. (JN)